Painting is a skilled job with plenty of room for error, from knowing how to prepare the appropriate surface to understanding the best interior paint for the situation. When you book through Handy, we match your job’s requirements with experienced house painters who will leave you completely satisfied. They'll arrive with the right equipment in hand, ready to roll.
To paint a large section without leaving lap marks, roll the nearly dry roller in different directions along the dry edge, feathering out the paint as you go. After completing the entire length of the wall or ceiling, move to the next section and paint over the feathered edges. For the second coat, apply the paint in the opposite direction. This crisscrossing paint application sharply reduces (if not eliminates) lap marks.
Sean and TJ painted the entire interior of our townhouse and were a pleasure to work with. Excellent job of prepping and cleaning up at the end of each day. We changed our minds on the color selection of our downstairs walls TWICE, but they didn't make us feel like idiots (even though we felt that way) and were patient with the process. Bryan, the owner, is detail oriented and very easy to work with. We would definitely recommend them!!!

I agree with you Richard, as a painting contractor for very many years, people are always looking to get more and more out of you. I had to give an estimate to a lady a few weeks ago who had more stuff around her home than a thrift store including heavy furniture, stuff all over the floor and junk everywhere. I knew if I accepted the job id be a furniture mover and cleaner. I also agree this article makes it seem like the contractor is out to rip off the customers. Fact is I always leave doing more work than agreed upon. It doesn't bother me since the customer is always satisfied. Just saying

The inland suburbs to the west, such as Orange Park and Fleming Island, are known for their reasonable housing prices. The more rural setting means that the homes in this area are very similar to homes in suburbs across the country rather than the large beach houses seen in Jacksonville’s seaside towns. Homes here have reasonable square footage, which can bring the cost of painting services down. The Painter Guide was created by Eric Barstow of PaintingBusinessPro.com and Chandler Zieg of PaintingLeads.com. We come from a vast background in house painting. Our national painting company produces over $4 million in revenue each year and our education and advertising service for painters sells over $1.5 million per year. We’ve literally helped thousands of painters grow their businesses.

When we checked out their work the next day we found multiple, I mean MULTIPLE, paint splatters all over the place. On the hardwood floors (had to be at least 10 paint splatters on the ground), paint on the fireplace, clumps of paint on the wall. There were several areas that needed a paint touch up that weren't. It seemed like the whole job was done by a kid. We called them and asked if they could come back and basically finish their job. We told them we will mark all the paint splatters and areas missed with blue paint tape, so when they came back they would know exactly where to look. We marked probably about 20 areas that needed attention. Sounds flawless right?

Oh, where to begin? Let me start with 'watered down paint'. 25-50% before the material gets to the site? Impossible. You would basically be painting with water at that point. It would be less of a hassle, and cost, to simply use proper material. You would be forced to apply three coats instead of two, as the coverage would be horrible. Whatever cost you think might be saved in materials would be lost in labor.
There are numerous factors to consider prior to pricing that can add additional costs to the painting of your home. It was previously stated that the surface material, condition of existing surface, home features, special materials that may need to be utilized, and any additional prep work that might be required can effect the final cost. The location also effect the overall condition of the home or business moving from the Northwoods , lake areas to urban homes.

Third: The contractor buys the materials. We get them at a better rate and customers really don't know what they are getting into by being a material racer. Once again, I'm not referring to the guys that paint a bedroom or 2 a week. Tell the homeowner to go grab 50 gallons of paint, $300.00 worth of sundries and related job cost items and I'd be interested to see how it works for them....IT WILL NOT. And if were talking about people getting taken advantage of here, the paint suppliers with no relationship to a homeowner will 100% GOUGE the customer and completely take advantage of them with pricing. Contractors will pay nearly half the price and will still save the customers money marking up paint 10-15%.

My painter franchisee, who I got from Angie's List, must have found some shmucks on the corner to paint my house. I specifically said I wanted stain. First my house was painted the wrong color, Then it was painted with LATEX paint- not stain. Estimates to 'undo' the damage is around $10,000 and its not a guarantee that it will work. The work is at best amateurish. Many underpainted or not painted spots, drips, etc. They did the entire outside (scraping?, priming? caulking?, painting), cleaned up and left within the time I left for work and came home. There were thee of them (my neighbor told me) This was two years ago and I am still upset. Can't be fixed.

"Over the months it had started to leak considerably and I had contacted several contractors to take a look at it. The roof was flat with no grade and was 26x35 feet with old shingle paper laid on it. Water had continued to pool on the roof and eventually caused major water damage in several areas. Many of the contractors that came out gave very overpriced estimates that would not fit within my budget that I explicitly told them I had to maintain. That changed when I contacted Doc's. He arrived in a timely fashion on the date we agreed upon and assessed the situation. I explained what I was wanting done to include repairing the roof, replacing the shingles and possibly adding a grade to the roof to alleviate the standing water if that stayed within my budget. Not only was Doc's estimate more then 50% less than any of the other contractors but he also walked me through the entire process. When it came time to purchase the materials, Doc provided me with receipts of the material purchases to show that there was no inflated charge and one occasion I accompanied him to Home Depot so that we could pick out the correct lumber together, he even treated me out to lunch afterwards. The project took a little over 2 days and looks better than new. Doc also managed to add a grade to the patio cover at no additional charge and even came back several days later to help me mount a section of the under-hang that I needed to stain. I would most definitely consider using Doc's Painting and Home Repair for future projects. His estimates were transparent, non-misleading, and spot on."
Lap marks are those ugly stripes caused by uneven layers of paint buildup. They occur when you roll over paint that’s already partly dry. (In warm, dry conditions, latex paint can begin to stiffen in less than a minute!) The key to avoiding lap marks when doing DIY wall painting is to maintain a “wet edge,” so each stroke of your roller overlaps the previous stroke before the paint can begin to dry.
A good paintbrush is key to a professional-looking finish. "A quality brush costs $15 to $25, but you'll discover that pros aren't as talented as you thought," says Doherty. "The equipment has a lot to do with their success." Most of our pros prefer natural-bristle brushes for oil-based paints, but they recommend synthetics for all-around use. When choosing a brush, pay attention to the bristles. Synthetic brushes are made of nylon or polyester, or a combination of the two. Poly bristles are stiffer, which makes them good for exterior or textured work, but for fine interior work, Doherty uses softer nylon brushes. Look also for tapered bristles, which can help you work to an edge, and flagged tips, which help spread the finish smoothly and evenly. Brushes are available in 1- to 4-inch widths. Most painters keep an arsenal on hand to match the job. "Use common sense," says Maceyunas. "A smaller brush gives you more control, but no one wants to paint a door with a 1-inch-wide brush." Doherty recommends starting with a 2- or 2-1/2-inch sash brush. The angled brush makes it easier to cut to a line and puts more bristles on the work than a square-tipped brush.
Stacee, I agree with you completely, from adding water to latex paint to taking whites from job to job. This article makes all painters look like scam artists. You get what you pay for people! There is no denying that there are scammers out there but in my experience, most painters are under paid any ways so if you want a good paint job, you are going to pay for it. If you just want a new color on your walls real quick, and that is what you pay for then that's what you pay for people. Most painters get the crap end of the stick and are left with making an entire house look good when it took a lot more than a painter to build the house in the first place. Good painters do not get enough credit. They are not all scammers who are cutting corners!
You can save a bundle by doing the labor yourself. The biggest DIY expense is paint. Other expenses include buying or renting supplies and equipment, like caulk, primer, brushes, rollers, tarps and ladders or scaffolding. Freeman advises applying paint with brushes, not a sprayer. “If you overspray all the window frames and overspray your shingles and your sidewalks and the brick on the front of the house, you do damage that is not easily fixed,” he says. I made the HUGE mistake of hiring Certa Pro to do several interior rooms of my house, and remove popcorn ceiling in a bathroom. What a nightmare! They didn't paint any door jams, they broke a cedar window sill-and didn't bother telling me, they gouged a hardwood floor, they never sealed the room that had the popcorn removed--causing white powder to be in all rooms of a 2 story home. I can go on and on. Horrible company

Load flat or eggshell exterior paint color into paint sprayer. Depending on intensity of hue, apply one or two coats of flat or eggshell exterior paint to entire house. Be sure to work your way from top to bottom in a smooth, controlled manner, overlapping each stroke by 8 inches. TIP: When changing exterior color from light to dark or dark to light, start with a coat of primer to ensure proper coverage. Primer is not necessary when a fresh coat of existing color is being applied.

A number of factors help determine when you should paint your home’s exterior. These include your local climate and weather conditions, the age of your home, and the type of siding used. A high-quality finish in ideal conditions could last 10 years. But if your home takes a beating from the elements, you may need to repaint as often as every three years. Most homes can be on a 5-8 year interval. If you’re not sure if your house is due for a refresher, watch out for signs of deteriorating paint, such as fading and chipping.